Devil Dish: July 18

In a radio interview with Jim Rome, the NBA commissioner was asked if the last NBA Draft Lottery was rigged, considering the fact the league-owned Hornets won and were given the No. 1 pick for this year’s draft.

“I have two answers for that,” Stern said. “The simple easy one, no. The second, shame on you for asking.

As if Stern’s image wasn’t hindered already, fans’ respect toward him sank even lower. Like what Rome stated in his rebuttal, I believe the question was appropriate. Almost every fan capable of critical thinking has questioned the lottery’s integrity and they deserve an answer from the boss himself.

Instead, listeners were exposed to an unprofessional retort and the rest of the interview was about Stern criticizing Rome’s status as a journalist.

Here’s an idea to avoid any more provoking questions about the lottery: show the live lottery ball machine like they used to in the 80s. If we can’t see it, then how do we know if the suspense and selection process is real or not?